Reverse - by Rand

Why don't we try
starting with the
sudden breakup
then ease into
long stretches of
uncomfortable silence
and follow that up
with months of
acrimonious arguments
before we begin to
notice little things
about each other
that drive us both
crazy

That way we can move
on to comfortable
cohabitation and then
learn everything we
can about each other
before finally settling
into many years of
new relationship
sex

Insect - by Debbie

This time I saw her
in the frozen produce aisle:
the Insect.

I keep her nickname
in my head, of course,
but it's there
nonetheless.

Funny at first
but now...

...now it's like
she KNOWS. Like
she's waiting, her
web spun.

I only need
to look up, to
meet her gaze.

Just once.

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Do you have your own instapoem inspired by today's prompt? Feel free to post below! We're also looking for prompt suggestions for the next couple of months; see this post.

Insect - by Rand

i. Aim

Get the
insecticide
There's an
insect inside

ii. Shame

Don't you know
Can't you see
That the insect
is inside of me

iii. Blame

You shouldn't
have made
me feel
so small

Green - by Rand

I'm not sure that a color

that can represent envy, money,

environmental consciousness,

and a general lack of experience

can be trusted

Mouse - by Rand

i.

Diddle diddle dumpling
Mice on John

ii.

"Mouse head!"
Mao said

Two 1971 Memories - by Rand (prompt: Childhood)

i. The Beatles Again

Four unsmiling wizards

Hair everywhere

Trapped in a two-dimentional

square of paper and plastic

Father turns it over in his hands

Consulting it importantly

before carefully placing

it in the shopping cart

ii. Rick Martin Rookie Card

Lying in bed

Awake in the dark

when they get home

Babysitter paid

they enter the room

and present a present

A tiny pack of glory

Under the gum

hidden within flat images

of rugged men with sticks

I find a handsome hero

iii. Reflection

Forty years old

memories of objects

Yet no solid memories

of word or voice or touch

from this same time

I could conclude

a sad and lonely life

The beginnings of

an obsession with stuff

But I prefer to assume

that these flat miracles

were unique artifacts

in a young life filled

to mundane capacity with

word and voice and touch

Second - by Rand

It only

takes

a second

to only

take

second

Arms - by Rand

He shouted

"To arms!"

and it cost him

two legs

Stamp - by Rand

Food stamp philatelist
Notary public seal
Peel lick and stick
Pestle cast impression
Sealskin wax mold
Rubber
Postage
Terence

That Tears It - by Rand (prompt: Tears)

No
one
told me
it would end
in tears

No
one
told me
it would end

No
one
told me

No
one

No

Dragon - by Rand

Statistically speaking

dragons have the

dubious distinction

of being more likely

to exist than any other

mythical creature

A goblin told me

that the unicorns

are cool with this

but the angels

are pissed

Vacation - by Rand

As of this morning
I am on vacation
so please forgive
me for not writing
a poem today

Collage - by Rand

We take pieces
created by others
and carefully place
them near one another
producing a new context
and thus a new creation

We take what we find
rearrange it and
make it our own

We're all busy pasting
pictures of horses
next to ads for laundry soap
next to Mohammad Ali

This is how we make art
in the 21st century
but it's how we've been
making people forever

Grace - by Rand

Imagine how different
the world would be
if we replaced "hello"
with "you are forgiven"

Hand - by Rand

5 = Nice to meet you
(or, Sieg Heil)
4 = Live long and prosper
(or, a cartoon character)
3 = Okay
(or, Wayne's World)
(or, I love you)
(or, The Shocker)
2 = Peace
(or, Victory)
(or, The Devil)
(or, Hang ten)
(or, The Longbowman Salute)
1 = Screw you
(or, Thumbs up)
(or, Come here)
(or, Just a moment)
0 = Black power
(or, One of these days...)

Question - by Rand

We each write

our question

on a wrinkled

piece of paper

Gather them up

Clasp hands around

the piles in prayer

and bury them deep

in the unforgiving

ground

Hug - by Rand

The worth

of a hug

diminishes

by at least

50% if it

has to be

asked for

Milk - by Rand

Her body is shouting
“I’m the best
chocolate chip cookie
you’ve ever tasted!”
so loudly that
I forget that I'm
out of milk

NPR - by Rand

Would it make
a difference to you
if I told you that
NPR receives no
direct funding
from the federal
government?